The final days from Rome to Amsterdam...

Thursday 22 August. I get going from Hotel Hinterland at Izenberge-Alveringen at 8.30 under a grey sky, and it is not long before the rain sets in. I stop at a bus shelter and put my rain jacket and trousers on. I cannot complain as this is the first time it rains on the whole journey apart from the thunderstorm descending the col de Vars two weeks ago. I soon realise my expensive rain jacket from Ground Effect in New Zealand must be made for the Southern Hemisphere! Down under it repels the rain and whisks any sweat out into the outside world, but here in the Northern Hemisphere it takes every drop, sucks it in and won't let any moisture out! I am soaked to the skin in no time. I must say this Hemisphere theory is entirely mine and not based on any scientific evidence, it is purely circumstantial. The roads are getting much busier and the large agricultural machinery spray me with muck as they race for shelter. The tractors are gradually replaced by large campers as I get closer to the sea and soon I see glimpses of it through the gaps between the large apartment blocks lining the seafront. I now ride along the promenade parallel with the beach tram lines which run all the way to Knokke up the coast. I arrive in Oostende after 2hours and find that most hotels are booked out. There are people everywhere packed like sardines in restaurants, bars and all available places on covered terraces. After enquiring at a few hotels along the promenade without success I learn that the world championship roller speed skating are on in town. I am just about resigned to the fact that I may have to go some distance inland or into the city centre, when I spot a sign "hostelry" above a restaurant. There is no obvious entrance so I enquire at the restaurant and the nice lady has one room for one night free, which happens to be tonight, perfect. I hang all my wet gear out to dry in the room and after a quick shower I walk out to find the railway station where Hilde arrives at 1.30 from Antwerpen to see me on my way through. The continual rain stops but the clouds are thick and heavy, it continues to spit and drizzle at regular intervals. We manage to have a very pleasant and long walk along the promenade and the beach to the next village to the South. After a drink we ride the tram back to Oostende and after a lovely meal I deliver Hilde back to the station for her return home. I am a lucky biker indeed.

Another great day, although wet, with a ride of 41 km in 2h3 min.

Friday 23August dawns clear and sunny, and I continue up the coast to Knokke before I turn inland to the border with Holland. There is no evidence of it and I slip unnoticed into the province of Zeeland, after which my adopted homeland of New Zealand is named by Abel Tasman around 1675 if my history knowledge serves me wright. I am unsure from which town the Ferry across the river Schelde goes so I aim for Schoondijke to keep my options open for Breskens or Terneuzen. It is a good move as the signs for the ferry appear just there and I arrive at Breskens at 1.30 pm. I miss out by a few bikers as a school party fills the ferry and I have to wait till 3.30 for the next one. Arriving just after 4 in Vlissingen, the place is buzzing with the Sail Show and a good many tall sailing ships in the harbour. The old city is in party mode and very busy. The school holidays are still on and accommodation is hard to find. At the VVV the Dutch tourist information office, I find a hotel in Middelburg the Capitol of the province less than 10 km from Vlissingen. A reminder of how small and close everything is in The Netherlands. I phone my cousin Kees, to see if I can visit his mother, (my aunt Nel), who recently went into a nursing home not far from here in Goes. Aunt Nel who is 93, has visited us in New Zealand three times with my mother in the past and I would like to pay her a visit on the way through. We arrange to meet at 11 am tomorrow morning at the nursing home. I look forward to it.

Another great day, a ride of 76 km in 3h5 min, with sunny skies!

Saturday 24 August, I rediscover the Dutch weather pattern of a good day, bad day as the clouds hang low again and the rain falls with regular intervals. My jacket hasn't acclimatised yet and despite sheltering during the heaviest downpours I am soaked to the skin in no time. It is only 40 km to Goes and once wet I push through to get it over with.  I arrive at 10.15 and find a convenient corner under the covered entrance to park the bike with my gear and a warm lounge and foyer to dry out and enjoy a coffee while waiting for cousin Kees to arrive. He arrives late because of the inevitable traffic jambs, and finds me dry and ready to visit Aunt Nel. She is extremely pleased to see us and I am very happy to have made the effort to detour. Kees offers to give me a lift to my young  brother Arie in Rotterdam and considering the time of day, the 90 or so km to ride and the fact that it is still raining off and on, I gratefully accept the offer. We arrive at Arie and Sylvia's place to find them away but I remember their neighbour has a key so I  am able to let myself in and give them a ( hopefully) pleasant surprise.  That is how it turns out and we have a great weekend together with lots of food and drink.

Monday 26 August I set off at 9 .30 on my last day of biking as the GPS tells me that  90 km is the remaining distance left to finish another adventure.

However the roading network in Holland is designed so that motorised traffic and bicycles are separated for the majority of it and at times the two go their separate ways. The cycle way may run parallel with the road in the countryside but takes the cyclist through every settlement while the road goes around the outside. This throws the GPS into panic mode, loosing the plot and continually bleeping to turn around and trying to direct me back to the main road where cycling is prohibited. The result is that getting through the town or village becomes guesswork when to start following the GPS again. Several times I start too early and find myself back at the point where I left the road in the first place! A frustrating experience and without a map not to be recommended. On top of that without hills of any kind, the wind is a relentless companion and as usual against, the restaurants and roadside eating houses are closed on Monday, so with the detours and missed signpost I end up riding 127 km in 6 h 35 on a bottle of water and a muesli bar, reaching my destination at our friends Frans and Ellen hungry but happy. Another adventure comes to an end. Time to rest and reflect on the experience.

Veronica arrives in Amsterdam on the first of September so I have 6 days to rest and scrub up to enjoy a 2 week holiday together before we fly home to New Zealand on 15 September.

To close I list a few statistics of the trip for whoever is interested and say thank you for following and supporting me and the encouragement you gave me during this most enjoyable journey. I am a very fortunate fellow.

Total distance biked = 2,550 km

Total vertical meters climbed = 20,376m

Total hours on the bike = 139.5

Average speed = 18.3 km/h

Highest temperature while riding = 43 C

Total days on the bike = 28

Average distance per day = 91 km

Longest day = 147 km ,  6 h 48 min

Number of days with rain = 2

Number of thunderstorms = 1

Number of flat tyres = 0